Arizona Cheerleader Claims Officer Groped Her During Viral Arrest

An Arizona State University cheerleader claims she was punched in the face and groped by a police officer during a July 19 arrest that was captured on video and has since gained widespread attention. Eryn Bonner, 21, faces two misdemeanor charges: disorderly conduct and hindering/interfering.

Bonner's attorney, Benjamin Taylor, told the Daily Mail that his client pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged that an officer sexually assaulted her by groping her buttocks during the arrest. "The fact that he groped her and grabbed her buttocks and sexually assaulted her. He deserves to be fired," Taylor stated.

Taylor also accused the officers of escalating the situation and expressed concern that the internal affairs investigation is being overseen by a sergeant who was previously suspended for a use-of-force incident. "This excessive force was unnecessary and could have been easily de-escalated," he added. "And to have a grown man beat up a woman like that, he must have some sort of domestic violence issues that he's hiding."

The Tempe Officers' Association, however, called the groping allegation "inflammatory" and suggested Bonner was attempting to avoid accountability by struggling with officers. The association stated that Bonner failed to back away and calm down, contributing to the confrontation.

Video footage of the incident shows two officers arresting one of Bonner's friends outside a nightclub. When another friend intervened, officers reportedly pushed both men to the ground. Bonner then attempted to pull an officer off one of the men. Officers ordered her to step back, but she did not comply. According to the video, an officer then pushed Bonner to the ground, threw her over a bike, and struck her in the face.

Witnesses in the footage could be heard pleading with officers to stop. Bonner's friends were also handcuffed and arrested.

Bonner was initially charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault on a first responder and resisting arrest. However, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to prosecute those charges. The City of Tempe Prosecutor's Office filed the current misdemeanor charges against Bonner on September 23.

Taylor asserted that Bonner was charged after filing a complaint against the officer she accused of groping her. "This is definitely retaliation against the fact that she made a complaint against the City of Tempe's Police Department for groping her," Taylor said. "And it's clear, clear on the video that you see the officer grab her butt when she's face down being handcuffed. There was no need for that."

Conversely, Tempe Police alleged in court documents that Bonner was the first to strike an officer, hitting him approximately five times before she was struck back. A spokesperson for the Tempe Police Department confirmed that an internal review of the incident is ongoing.

The two men arrested alongside Bonner were identified as Isaiah Johnson, 21, and Jonathan Nwariaku, 21. Nwariaku faces charges of assault and disorderly conduct, while Johnson is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Bonner is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on November 4.